Chindro facts for kids

Chindro (also known as Stapoo or Kidi Kada) is a popular outdoor game. It is played in countries across the Indian subcontinent, like India and Pakistan. This game is similar to hopscotch. You toss a small stone and slide it across a playing court drawn on the ground.

What is Chindro?

Chindro is a very popular game in the Indian subcontinent. While it's often played in villages, many kids in cities enjoy it too. It's a favorite pastime for girls, especially teenagers. However, young boys can also join in the fun.

Setting Up Your Game

Playing Chindro is simple and doesn't cost anything! You only need two basic items.

• A small piece of chalk or coal is used to draw the playing court.
• A flat stone (about 10 cm across) is used as the playing piece. Sometimes, an empty shoe polish tin filled with sand is used instead.

Diagram of Chindro playing court and motion of gameplay.

One player draws the court on a flat surface, like an alley floor. They use the chalk or coal for this. The size of the court can change depending on what the players agree on. For example, if everyone wants eight boxes, each about 60 cm by 120 cm, that becomes the playing court.

How to Play Chindro

Once the court is drawn, each player takes a turn.

• First, the player stands with their back to the court.
• They throw the stone over their head, aiming for the farthest box.
• If the stone lands successfully inside the box without touching any lines, the player takes off their shoes.
• They then stand barefoot near the stone, balancing on one foot.
• Next, the player pushes the stone with their foot. They try to slide it into the next box in one push.
• If successful (again, without touching any lines), the player keeps going. They continue pushing the stone from box to box.
• This continues until the stone is successfully out of the court. The player must also be back where they started.
• Once the stone is out of the court, the player can stand on both feet.

A player's turn ends early if:

• They cannot stand on one foot and both feet touch the court.
• The stone stops on one of the lines.
• The stone slides out of the court before reaching the last box.

Why Chindro Was Banned

During the time the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, many sports for girls were not allowed. This included the game of Chindro.